This will be a ceremonial event that will be attended by senior officials from the Chinese Government and delegates from neighbouring countries.

According to State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu, China will be sending a delegation comprising members of its State Council who will include two ministers and a vice-minister for the launch.

“China who provided the funds through loans that the SGR was built will be sending a senior delegation of the State Council at that launch,” Esipisu said Sunday during his weekly press briefing at the State House.

“We do expect that the President will officiate at events of the container terminal on May 30 before embarking on a train ride the following day,” he added.

During the launch, the President will also make a number of stopovers to commission newly built terminus before concluding his trip aboard the SGR train in Nairobi.

The Head of State is expected to stop at most of the major SGR terminus which include Mariakani, Miasenyi, Voi, Mtito Andei, Kibwezi, Emali and Athi River before making his way to the capital.

“The President reached agreements on new partnership with China and some of those agreements include support for funding for the Exim Bank of China for the next phase of the SGR that will take it from Naivasha to Kisumu.”

According to the Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC), it is estimated that the Nairobi- Naivasha section of the SGR will coast about US $ 1.5 billion. Official figures for the Naivasha- Kisumu section are yet to be released.